Leaving
by Debster's Dictionary
Summary: David's leaving. Jack wants to know why. slash. javid.


Disclaimer: I don't own the Newsies, all I've got is a dvd of the musical that is quickly wearing out.

Warning: This is slash. Deal.

David Jacobs sighed and pushed another curl out of his eyes.

"It's really quite simple," he said to the man standing next to him. "Denton offered me a job working at the Sun."

"I got that part, Davey," said his companion. "What I ain't getting is why you gotta go all the way to Washington for it."

"The Sun wants a few reporters there in case something big happens there. It is the capitol of the country, you know."

"I ain't stupid," said Jack. "And I ain't falling for it. You're hiding something."

"No, I'm not," said David. "It's my job, and I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm sure you and Sarah will be fine without me." He couldn't quite conceal the touch of jealousy that crept into his voice with his sister's name. It wasn't that he didn't love her, or he wouldn't miss her, it was just that he couldn't stay here and watch her be all lovey-dovey with his Jack.

Jack was talking again.

"'Sides, I know you don't hafta go to Washington. Denton told me that you asked to go. So, I gotta know, Davey, why?"

David blushed and turned away as he picked up another shirt to pack.

"Because Washington is where all the great stories are happening."

"Bullshit Davey!" came Jack's reply. "What are you trying to get away from?"

David sat down to put the shirt in his solitary suitcase. This was supposed to be much easier. Jack was supposed to just accept that he was leaving and let it end at that. There wasn't supposed to be an inquisition, nor was Jack supposed to be able tell when he was lying. Why couldn't Jack be dense when you wanted him to?

"I just want to see more of the world than New York, Jack," David said. "Feel free to drop the subject any time now."

Since the strike, Jack and Sarah had been moving closer, and David had been falling to the wayside. David finished school and now he had a job. Why couldn't Jack just let it go like he'd let so much else go these past few years?

"I don't wanna drop the subject. I wanna know the truth."

David smiled at that. "The truth is rarely something anyone wants to hear. I don't think this case is much different."

"What, you in love with someone and they don't love you back or something?" asked Jack.

David cursed Jack's intuition. He cursed it high as the heavens and had to curb an intense desire to flee.

"No," said David.

"Aww, you are!" exulted Jack. I can tell, 'cause your face is just one big tomato!"

David turned away and tried to calculate how long it would take him to get out of the room.

"Who is she? That little blonde downstairs? Or the redhead I saw you eyeing last week?"

He closed the suitcase and stood, looking around the room once more to see if he'd forgotten anything.

"I should probably go now," David said.

"Why?" Jack asked. "I thought you weren't going til tomorrow?"

"Well it never hurt to leave early," David said.

"What, afraid I'm gonna figure out your secret? I getting too close for you, Davey?"

"I hope you and Sarah have a nice time, Jack. Maybe I'll see you around Christmas." With that, David picked up his suitcase and walked out of the apartment. He'd already said goodbye to the family. He hadn't even planned on saying goodbye to Jack at all. The other boy had just been too tricky to avoid. David could ignore a lot of things, but he couldn't disguise the clenching in his stomach. He thought he might throw up. _See?_ he thought to himself. _This is why I didn't want to say goodbye to Jack._

Jack stood in the bedroom, stunned. Granted, he had figured that David wasn't gonna tell him, but to just leave instead was unlike him. The kid wasn't called "The Walking Mouth" for nothing! And Jack didn't think this was such a big deal. It must be, for David to get so upset.

He hadn't seen Davey in a while, when he'd run into the boy at the market. Davey had looked reluctant, but had slowly told Jack he was leaving. Jack was shocked. David had obviously known for a while, but there he was, saying he was leaving tomorrow. Was he even going to tell Jack? Jack was his best friend! Jack felt himself get angry. He stalked out of the room and followed David down the stairs.

"Where you even gonna tell me?" Jack yelled.

David looked up from the patch of ground he'd been staring at as Jack barreled down the stairs towards him.

He quirked a smile. "No."

Jack pulled up short at that. "Why the hell not?"

David just smiled wider. "Because I knew this was how you'd react. I knew you'd ask questions and I didn't want to give you the answers."

"I'm your best friend and you were gonna sneak off in the night 'cause you don't wanna talk?" Jack was obviously reeling with this information.

The smile shrank a bit. "Well we haven't been that close lately. I mean, you've been really busy with Sarah and your job and all. I just thought it would be easier if you didn't have to worry about this."

Jack could tell something was off now. He edged forward into David's personal space. "Worry about what?"

David tried to talk, to work himself out of the mess he'd created, but no words would come. He stepped back and begged his dry mouth to say anything, anything but the truth.

"Worry about what, Davey?"

All David could do was look Jack in the eye.

Jack stepped back, for once truly surprised by what he found in his friend's eyes.

"Me. You were leaving to get away from me."

He stood there in shock. So that was why David didn't want him to know. He was the reason. But Jack just couldn't see why. He hadn't done anything to David. He hadn't even seen David for weeks.

David was just this side of hyperventilation. All he wanted was to run and never look back, but there was Jack standing right in the way.

"What'd I do?" Jack looked truly upset. For that one reason, David regretted what he was about to do. He knew that after this, Jack would probably hate him. He'd get punched a few times, but then it would be over. Jack would stay in New York, and David could be in Washington, far away, and safe from retribution.

With all this in mind, David stepped forward and put a hand on the nape of his friend's neck.

"Nothing," he said. "Absolutely nothing."

Then he kissed him.

Jack could swear that he was hallucinating. In fact, he would, if he weren't so busy being surprised. Sure, he'd wondered what kissing David would be like, but he had pushed all those thoughts far to the back of his mind recently. The he realized that he was kissing back.

David pulled away then, just as Jack began to participate in the kiss. He flinched back and picked his suitcase back up, avoiding eye contact.

_Well, that was that,_ he thought. _Now he knows. Now you can't hide. Better to just go now before he notices._

He tried to push past Jack, but Jack awoke enough from his stupor to stop him.

"What was that for David?"

David figured he might as well get it all out now.

"That, Jack, is why I didn't tell you I was leaving."

Jack pondered this for a moment, before returning with another question. "How long?"

"Since before you scabbed," was David's reply. _Honestly, can't he figure it out already? Why I felt so very betrayed? Why I winced when he kissed my sister? It's been glaringly obvious for years now, Jack. All I was waiting for was you to notice._ Instead, he said, "You don't have to say anything. I'll just go now."

"You don't get off that easy," said Jack.

_So he is going to hit me after all._

But Jack didn't hit David. He didn't beat him into the ground, berate him, or fill out any other of the thousand ways David had pictured this moment ending.

Jack leaned forward and captured David's lips again. This time was less chaste. He traced David's lips with his tongue and slipped inside. David gasped against the kiss, and Jack pushed him against the wall. David slipped his hands up and tentatively placed them around Cowboy's—his Cowboy's—waist. Finally, when neither one of them could take the lack of air, they broke apart, panting. This time, David met Jack's gaze.

"What was that for?" he mimicked.

"You know why, Davey," said Jack.

"No, Jack, I've got to say, I really don't." David replied. "You're in love with Sarah."

"No, I'm not."

"Does she know this?" asked David. "Because last I knew you two spent all your time together. Hell, last I knew she was picking out china patterns with Mama!"

"Sarah knows I don't love her, and she's alright with that, for now. She says she'll wait." came Jack's reply.

"So, what you're saying is…"

"David, I can't say I love you, because I don't. Not yet. But I am saying that there's a good shot I will. If you give me time." As far as heartfelt confessions went, Jack's was not near the top for eloquence, but David thought it was just fine.

"I love you, Jack."

"I know Davey."

"So, I guess this means I won't be going to Washington," continued David. "Seeing as I have such pressing matters to attend to here."

"Whatever you say," said Jack. "But for now, let's get you and you suitcase back upstairs where you belong."

David snuck another kiss. "Okay."

But as he snaked his arm around Jack's waist again, David couldn't dispel the nagging thought, _I should have tried to leave ages ago._


End file.
